Houzz Tour: Mercer House

The majestic Potomac river winds its way through several states, eventually passing through Virginia where it widens as Dogue Creek joins in. There on the banks you'll find Mercer House, a stunningly beautiful stone and shingle house that looks as if it may have been in that very spot for decades. Those passing by on the river may be surprised to find it was built in 2002 under the specifications of Robert Brown and Todd Davis of Brown-Davis Interiors, Inc. The firm was responsible for both the interior and exterior architectural designs of this home, which belongs to Robert Brown's sister Wendy and her husband Charlie.

"The entire design and focus of the house was intended to take advantage of the views," says Todd. When the property was purchased there was an original house from the 1950s that was dismantled. "Our intention was to create a house that could have been built 100 years ago," Todd says. "Our inspiration came from our visits to North East Harbor Maine when we visited the renowned writer and hostess, Susan Mary Alsop."

Alsop's friends included Brooke Astor, the Pierponts and other notables. "With Susan Mary we would attend parties, teas and dinners which gave us the opportunity to visit these Gilded Age summer homes," Todd says. "We wanted to bring a bit of this Northeast Harbor Maine flavor to Mount Vernon, Virginia.

"This was also the time we were redesigning the interiors at the British Embassy Residence in Washington DC, and we were very much inspired by the work of Sir Edwyn Lutyen."

The entire house was designed to take maximum advantage of the sweeping vista of the Potomac River. The cove lighting makes the home feel warm and beautiful on even the coldest days. The table visible in this picture is French Empire.

The upholstered furnishings are custom designed by Brown Davis, as are the railings on the upper walkway and staircase. Antiques were combined with more contemporary shaped upholstered sofas and chairs. Brown Davis designed the custom scroll bench/coffee table.

Rob found this china—inspiration for the colors in the dining room—at an auction in New Orleans. It dates back to the late 1800s and has several unusual serving pieces. The corner cabinets were specifically designed to showcase this wonderful china.

I asked if this project posed any particular challenges.
"The major issue was working within the flood plane set back from the river," Todd says. "The pool had to be closer to the house than we originally desired. This issue required some special design work to keep the pool space from feeling crowded."

This view is looking from the lower level family room across the pool to the dock. The location of this home is special as the land incorporating the views is protected park and will never be developed.

This house is very close to where I live. I believe I have seen it from the outside once while boating on the Potomac. It is lovely. There are a lot more great houses in that area, all different styles and the gardens are spectacular! I toured a few of the gardens just this past spring.

This is a gorgeous home with so many details! I only wish you would have included a picture of the kitchen, the heart of the home! I love the pool design~awesome! Can you tell us if they used Azek for the beautiful trim on the round windows? Also, can you tell us how you were able to share this home with us?

Thanks for sharing this gorgeous design with us. The house doesn't look huge from the street, and the view from the river is nicely broken up by the roof design and variations on the three floors. Kudos to the architects. The interior mouldings are exquisite. Color choices are bold, and furnishings are not predictable, very eclectic. Great job!

Stunning, stunning. I love the entrance foyer floor, ...well I pretty well love this house period. The stunning unique furniture is well placed and the colors throughout the home flow like liquid..subtle changes as it goes, with just the right amount of punch throughout. Except the surprise in the breakfast nook area, a little waker upper in such a tranquil setting, but I just love that too. By far my favorite house you have posted..thanks for sharing. I just got a great idea for a trim on the floor to surround our new pool table..love IT!